I stood frozen in place, gripping the hem of my shirt tightly, feeling overwhelmed by the fear and humiliation that was about to drown me.
At that moment, someone appeared, like a beam of light cutting through the darkness.
Bernard rushed forward, taking off his jacket and tying it around my waist, shielding me from the stares.
"What are you all looking at? Haven't you seen this before? Don't you girls all get your periods? Stop being so mean."
"Mrs. Larson, wake up."
The nurse's voice called to me, pulling me from the haze. I slowly opened my eyes.
"The surgery was successful, but the anesthesia hasn't fully worn off yet. You need to stay awake. Let us know if you feel any discomfort."
She hooked up a new IV drip, noted down my condition, and then quietly left the room.
I stared at the pristine white walls of the hospital room, my hand instinctively moving to my now-flat stomach.
There was no longer any life stirring there.
In the afternoon, after my IV drip had finished, the nurse told me to go to the hall to collect my medication.
As soon as I stepped into the hallway, I saw a familiar figure.
Bernard was coming down the escalator, his arm wrapped around Annika. They were laughing together, looking so content.
"I told you I'm fine, but you insisted on coming early. You're just making things harder for yourself," Annika teased, wiping the sweat from Bernard's forehead with a tender gesture.
"Look at you, flying all the way there in the middle of the night, and now rushing back here with me. Aren't you tired?"
"How could I be tired when it's for you? Your health is the most important thing to me."
Bernard's hand gripped Annika's tightly, their gazes locking with a tenderness that cut deep.
I clutched the prescription slip in my hand, watching them. My heart felt like it was being torn apart over and over again, the pain so intense that I had grown numb to it.
"Isn't that Joy?"
Annika stepped off the elevator. The moment I saw her, I instinctively wanted to hide.
"What are you doing here?"
Bernard's brow furrowed as he walked swiftly toward me.
"Aren't you supposed to be at home resting? What are you doing at the hospital? Are you following me?"
Annika came over as well, and I instinctively lowered my head.
"I told you, I'm sick," I whispered.
"Joy, what's wrong? I heard you're pregnant. You need to take better care of yourself!"